Well, Pablo moved back to Austin, Texas to do pipeline work. He said
almost all of the shale gas well staking has gone way south in Texas.
He asked his new boss if he knew Kent McMillan. His boss said Kent
surveys everything down to the nut (0.01) or less. He researches all
of his projects back to the original grant. I need to change my sales
pitch. My clients let me research the previous owner and adjoiners --
that's it.
> Well, Pablo moved back to Austin, Texas to do pipeline work. He said
> almost all of the shale gas well staking has gone way south in Texas.
>
> He asked his new boss if he knew Kent McMillan. His boss said Kent
> surveys everything down to the nut (0.01) or less. He researches all
> of his projects back to the original grant. I need to change my sales
> pitch. My clients let me research the previous owner and adjoiners --
> that's it.
I think that's a good thing:good: :good:
> My clients LET ME research the previous owner and adjoiners --
> that's it.
Uh, what's wrong with that picture, do you suppose?
Kent, you should be flattered. I read your posts all the time and think, Geez...this guy goes the extra mile.
> Kent, you should be flattered.
No, I think it's weird that a professional surveyor would let his clients tell him how to make a survey. Mr. Client: "Okay, I'm not going to let you do more than the most minimal research for this survey. Maybe next time."
Okey-Dokey. Have at it.
:good: :good: :plumbbob: :good:
I must admit, we don't trace everthing back to the Sovereign, but I have to go back far enough to be comfortable with everything. Even if it is on my dime, I have to be able to sleep at night.
Yes I realize that you as the Doctor want to run additional test; however, I as your Client only need for you to perform heart surgery. After all, my chest hurts every time I eat tacos.
> I must admit, we don't trace everything back to the Sovereign, but I have to go back far enough to be comfortable with everything.
In Texas, land surveyors are tasked under the minimum standards of practice with considering junior/senior rights. Without actually abstracting title back to the transaction that created a boundary, there is no way to even know what the situation is. On rural lands, it isn't uncommon for original land grant lines to be boundaries.
Probably more than 80% of the instances of surveying negligence I see are the work of surveyors who simply didn't do enough research and just winged it with a couple of deeds in hand. It's the sort of situation a surveyor doesn't want to be stuck in with "but my client didn't want to pay enough to do the job competently" as an explanation or excuse.
:good: :good: :good:
I wish to be a part of your team Kent. I wish to learn more on what you are actually doing in the field. 🙂
Man, that commute would get to you after while.
Bruce
> I wish to learn more on what you are actually doing in the field.
Okay, I'll have to make some more detailed posts. Basically, it's nothing more exotic than doing enough research to compile a sort of shopping list of the evidence of land boundaries described in earlier conveyances and other information relevant to the task, then going out on the ground to find that evidence using whatever methods seem best for the job, then making survey measurements that will give the positions of both the evidence found and any new monuments placed with both high apparent accuracy and high reliability.
The downside to modern technology is that it makes it seem possible to survey boundaries on the run when usually the fastest way of getting the correct answer is at a more methodical, slower pace.
"Measure twice, cut once."
Actually, Kent is only adhering to the MINIMUM
laws of the Great State of Texas (no insult intended Kent, as you well know).
GENERAL RULES OF PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES
§663.16. Boundary Construction.
(a) When delineating a property or boundary line as an integral portion of a survey,
the land surveyor shall respect junior/senior property rights, footsteps of the
original land surveyor, the record, the intent as evidenced by the record, the
proper application of the rules of dignity or the priority of calls, and applicable
statutory and case law of Texas.
So if we, as RPLS's, do our job, we follow in the footsteps of the ORIGINAL SURVEYOR, right? We find the deeds that establish junior/senior rights, don't we?
(b) Appropriate deeds and/or other documents including those for adjoining parcels
shall be relied upon for the location of the boundaries of the subject parcel(s).
This means all adjoiners, right?
(c) A land surveyor assuming the responsibility of performing a land survey also
assumes the responsibility for such research of adequate thoroughness to support
the determination of the location of intended boundaries of the land parcel
surveyed. The land surveyor may rely on record data related to the determination
of boundaries furnished for the registrants' use by a qualified provider, provided
the registrant reasonably believes such data to be sufficient and notes, references,
or credits the documentation by which it is furnished.
This means we cannot use a Title Report only, right? I have never seen a Title Report cover junior/senior rights yet.
And one of the most important, yet probably the singly most violated rule;
§663.19. Plat/Description/Report.
(8) When appropriate, reference shall be cited in the prepared description to the
record instrument that defines the location of adjoining boundaries. The cited
instrument need not be the current ownership, but shall be the document
containing the description of the boundaries being re-established.
This means that deed that separated these 2 tracts of land AND created their common line way back there in 1824, right? Actually, this is 663.16.a rewritten so's we can get it, I think.
Probably, I'm just a cynical old man, but I believe that if I asked every single surveyor of record of every drawing/report/metes and bounds that crossed my desk this one question, "So which of all of these tracts has senior rights?" (assuming there were at least two or more adjoiners to the subject tract), I would would see a facial expression not unlike that of a deer standing in the middle of the road staring into the bright lights of a Ford 3/4 ton pickup traveling in excess of the posted speed limit coming right at it from at least half of them. I hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.
[msg=172276]This is the result when registereds don't apply a standard of care.[/msg]
This survey was a double and triple rodded nightmare. Once the evidence got collected it
became somewhat clear how it progressed to this.
Grateful for the registereds who actually try and uphold a standard.
> My clients let me research the previous owner and adjoiners --
> that's it.
[sarcasm]
DO your clients also tell you what kind of machete to use?[/sarcasm]
> Probably more than 80% of the instances of surveying negligence I see are the work of surveyors who simply didn't do enough research and just winged it with a couple of deeds in hand. It's the sort of situation a surveyor doesn't want to be stuck in with "but my client didn't want to pay enough to do the job competently" as an explanation or excuse.
:good: :good: A pretty conservative estimate in my experience, Kent. :good: :good:
Research, Research, RESEARCH!
JBS
[sarcasm]I just go back 6 months or so...you know, to save paper![/sarcasm]
